Wednesday, February 22, 2012

PAS KEDAH : A LEGACY OF UNNATURAL DESTRUCTION

Much have been said about the mistreatment of the pas-led Kedah State Government to Kedahans. If it weren’t for the projects carried out by the Al-Bukhary Group for the Federal Government, Kedahans would have witnessed a period of nothing but decays and rotting of the present infrastructure. While the double tracking project t and road-up-grading to Durian Burung are taking place, the normal roads in Kedah are left to rot. The pas Kedah State Government seemed unhinged as no effort has been taken to repair them. Perhaps after somebody dies from the terrible potholes, it looks like the holes are there to stay.

Since 1998, the strict land development requirements have made property developers to skip town, especially in Alor Setar. With property value in most parts in Sungai Petani still at a record low due to over-development, many developers headed to Kuala Lumpur, looking for greener pastures. Many developers are shocked to find that the pas government has given Belview (Sony Ho of Penang) a major chunk of state land and Tengku Yaakob’s for development. Many are still grumbling for the state’s decision not to give the development chance to anybody from Kedah. But now, they are very relieved that they’re not involved as the project oversteps its boundries and encroaches into a Waqf Land that is meant for Surau or Madrasah. In fact, many local Chinese developers, out of respect and superstition, prefer not to be involved in this mayhem.

We have read again and again on small businesses suffering in the hands of pas Kedah, especially Malay traders. Numerous times, the state government took action of demolishing small food stalls because it is illegal. This is a good move, if you’re in a cosmopolitan environment like Singapore, but the problem is, this is Kedah, where 80% of the stalls are owned by the Malays. Worse still, the state government led by pas seems to be prejudicially selective in where they choose to raid and demolish.

Demolition works were carried out in Kuala Nerang, Kulim and Alor Setar itself, where many Malay traders lost their main income. Even the building of Aman Central saw the ousting of several Malay stalls in the area, including the popular Atap rembia. Lately, the stalls in Taman PKNK has received warnings by the City Council to dismantle their stalls or face the consequences. Now Taman PKNK is a Malay majority housing area, understandably, all the stall owners are Malays. For more than a decade, the stalls there became a happening area with big crowds at night, especially on weekends. Once pas took over, the stalls received warnings every now and then.

In contrast to the case, another area which has a lot of stalls, and quite a happening area, but at daytime, is at Jalan Tengku Abdul Halim. Not many people in Alor Setar know this name, so, I’ll rephrase it to jalan Market Koboi. It has a Chinese majority, with old shops and an old market, which is very dirty (especially the drains), littered with stray dogs and a garbage dumping area behind it. The stalls are located about 50-60 meters away. Although the traffic has always been bogged down by the market and the stalls’ customers, nobody has ever seen anybody from City Council coming in even to assess the situation. In the past few months, the stalls made their structures more permanent. They have been operating there for more than 20 years without any interference from the State Government.

It is strange that pas chose to create such enemies with small stall owners in Malay areas, consisting of Malays. Perhaps knowing that Chinese voters’ loyalty can shift like standing in mud made pas press the Malays more. Ironically, according to some stall-owners, pas candidates use to stop for a drink or two at their stalls while campaigning at the same time. Now, the same person who won the state seat suddenly turned his back on them. Well, I guess he feels better turning his back on the Malay stall owners rather than anwar.

So far, nothing has been achieved by the pas government, despite their empty drum clanging antics. They had claimed that they built Menara Ukir, but people knew the project started 2 years before pas took over. They claimed that they built a university which sent people laughing and rolling on the floor because it is Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar’s project. Even the much acclaimed Insaniah College Campus in Kuala Ketil stopped after the ground-breaking ceremony. To counter all those, and to leave a lasting legacy in Kedah, pas has decided to build Aman Central, which, on paper, is to leave a long-lasting impression that pas is a party for all…yes, jews included.

Somehow, anything by pas seems to be a bane to Malays and Muslims of Kedah. In chasing their dreams, another scandal was born when pas wanted to demolish a 102-year old surau (Madrasah Salihiah) and reclaim the Waqf land so that a shopping mall can be built on it. It seems that pas cannot turn away from demolishing and/or destroying anything belonging to the Muslims and Malays. Trying to soothe the Muslims’ dissatisfaction, pas Kedah sent its war dogs to paint a disrepute image of the Madrasah Salihiah. Blogs from the likes of the comfortably-sponsored Kedah La Nie, the blogger Saiburi Sudin (plagiarized from Dr Sobri Sudin’s name, but Saiburi Sudin’s writing…well, he can’t even pass off as a university janitor), where they huffed and they puffed, but only managed to blow pas’ cheap toupee down. How could pas debate on this issue? While they talk slanderous things (as usual) about the surau, people are talking about the Waqf land. Still, it is a normal situation where, during a cock-fight, pas comes in with a duck.

Who is pas for? They don’t even seem to care about Kedahans. Even those stall-owners who were staunch pas supporters had to admit that Umno/BN has never disturbed their businesses, in fact, they were known to bring more business to them. Those in pas Kedah, maybe are too busy demolishing something to realize that.

In the same vein, Kedahans complaint previously that UMNO was getting too comfortable and callous about the people’s plight after more than 50 years in power in Kedah. Now, they admit that pas, within 4 years, struck the unnatural disaster in almost anything they do, and the victims? The Malays and Muslims. What is all this for, and for whom do the bells toll? We know pas has nothing to do with Islam, let alone stand for justice and/or Malays. Why does pas Kedah bring so much destruction?

In short, Kedahans have opened both their eyes and have seen pas Kedah for what they are: Pas did not come to build, they are here to destroy.

Who would ever thought that a sleeping MB, his golf-addicted excos, his misleading information exco and the never-seen pakatan state assemblymen can bring so much disaster and destruction to Kedah?